Posted: 01/26/06, 8:05 am Post subject: a dillemma - to keep the dog with me or not

Hello! We have a 2.5-year-old female GWP. We share our house with my parents. When I'm at work the dog stays in the outside kennel - it's part of the yard which he have fenced. We are not at home for the total of 6 hours every day. We leave the dog outside because for me locking her in the house for so long is cruelty. When we're at home she's inside - sometimes following us, sometimes sitting in her bed and watching us. I exercise her every day for totally of 2-3 hours - in the yard or in the dog park, playing fetch, catching a frisbee, running, obedience training, etc. I love her very much but I have just graduated school and I'm going to university in another town. My problem is what to do with the dog. Should I take her with myself in an apartment where she'll stay for 5-6 hours five times a week, or leave her with my parents. I'm not sure what to do, because my parents can't exercise her in the way I do. In fact, I have always cared, trained, and did everything for the dog. They only pet her. They even don't know how to properly care for a dog. I could tell them everything but.... I can't decide. Please, help me!

My advice is take the dog if at all possible. I myself have been a university student and had dogs while studying. It can be hard but it is worth it. Dogs are remarkably resiliant and can adapt to most things, like living in an apartment. You will need to make adjustments to your lifestyle too, with possibly longer walks and extra attention for the dog.
Dogs are really only around for a short time - make the most of them while you have them!
See if you can find a dog daycare or pay someone to walk your dog once or twice a week to relieve the boredom of its day.
Good luck, I hope it works out for you and your dog.

Posted: 02/12/06, 7:13 pm Post subject: Don't panic about leaving a dog by itself during the day

My 2 year old uncut male is perfectly fine here at home during the day while we are at work. He has rarely shown any inclination to chew or ransack the house, and in fact I feel its the best place for him while I'm busy at work. He saves up all his mischief for when I come in the door.

I have seen many references to the effect that GWP's make poor kennel dogs and to have the animal in the home with the owners is a better situation. This dog demands very close contact with me while we're together, but seems perfectly content to just lay around when we're at work.

My GWP stays in the house while I'm gone from 7 am to 1 pm, when I come home for lunch, and then from 2 to 4:45 I'm pretty sure she just sleeps the day away! I give her a treat in the Kong if she hasn't left it in the yard, else just plain, tell her to "be good, guard the house, I'll be back". A mission, so to speak.

Up until 2 months ago, she had the Akita to keep her company but she seems to be doing ok without her.

As long as it's not a deal written in concrete, you can always just try it, and if it doesn't work out, bring her back to have your parents look after her.